1884 Providence (Grays)

These renderings are based on visual documentation for uniform style only. Color information is unknown and the uniforms are rendered in values of gray. Minor details may also be undocumented or difficult to determine and an educated guess is made to complete the renderings.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Visual documentation on these uniforms:

Photo A

Dated late May 1884 to early June 1884. Photo date confirmed by the appearance of player Murray, who only played for the team in 1884. Players wore a light fray uniform in this photo, which was taken at Messer Park, Providence. The photo date range of late May to early June comes from Edward Achorn, Fifty-nine in ‘84 (2010), Note that three players in this photo, Start, Bassett and Cattanach, were wearing buttoned shirts and pants with a single, centered belt loop. The remainder of players had shirts with lace ties and two front belt loops. At least one player in this photo was wearing short sleeves with buttons for attaching separate sleeves.

Standing, from left: C Rabourn (81-85), C Sweeney (Pro 83, 84, StL UA 84), M Murray (84), J Denny (81-85), P Hines (78-85), (F Brancroft, mgr 84, 85), J Start (79-85), C Bassett (84, 85), J Cattanach (Pro 84, StL UA 84), C Carroll (82-85), A Irwin (83-85) and J Farrell (79-85). Sitting: B Gilligan (81-85), P Radford (84, 85) and S Nava (82-84). Player IDs from photo, and also from Nigel Ayres.

Dated late May 1884 to early June 1884. Detail view of photo A. Note, detail view shows two different shirt styles worn by players.

Written documentation on these uniforms:
December 1883: “[At a meeting of the National League] the uniform committee recommended that the 1883 uniform be retained [for 1884].” From Base Ball’s 19th-Century Winter Meetings, 1857-1900 (SABR, 2018), citing the New York Clipper, December 1, 1883, and stating that the uniform committee was [John B.] Day, [George W.] Howe and [Al] Reach. Research from Michael R. McAvoy. The committee was most likely responsible for selecting and/or approving the stocking color for each team.

January 1884: “The seventh annual meeting of the Providence Base-Ball Association was held last evening [in Providence on January 29]. Eighteen stockholders present, showed the following facts: [Cash received] from sale of uniforms, $149. [Expenses were] uniforms $196.” From the Chicago Tribune, January 31, 1884.

March 1884: “[Providence] Manager Bancroft has arranged with the Strobridge Lithograph Company, of Cincinnati, to furnish a different style score card ever used, a beautifully-colored sheet with a lithographic portrait of each player in every game and thus enabling the purchasers to receive good lithograph pictures to preserve.” From The Sporting Life, March 12, 1884. Research from Ed Morton.

March 1884: “Wright & Ditson, of Boston, will make the Providence Club uniforms, which will differ slightly from those of last season [1883], consisting of steel-gray shirts and pants, blue belts and stockings and blue cardigans.” From The Sporting Life, March 26, 1884. Research from Ed Morton.

April 1884: “The [Providence] team are splendidly uniformed by Wright & Ditson this season with gray suits, pants and caps, blue stockings, belts and Cardigan jackets. Each player will carry his uniform on trips, but bats will be carried in a club bat-bag instead of individual bat bags.” From the New York Clipper, April 5, 1884.

April 1884: “The Providences are to have a new uniform of drab cloth with blue trimmings.” From the Boston Globe, April 23, 1884.

Circa June 1884, referenced in 2010: “The June 10 [1884] issue of The Sporting Life noted one typical scheme [by manager Bancroft to make money]: a ten-by-twelve-inch group picture of the team, which the paper described as ‘elegant,’ could be obtained for 50 cents from F. C. Bancroft, at the Providence Hotel.” From Edward Achorn, Fifty-nine in ‘84 (2010). Achrorn explained that this image was of the Providence team “wearing dark business suits,” and that “another distinctly unelegant photo, taken at Messer Street Grounds in late May or early June [1884], shows a group of gritty and mean-looking men in rumpled uniforms […] between the pitcher’s box and second base.”

Mid-1884, recounted in 2009: “Midway into the 1884 season, it was reported that [Providence manager Frank] Bancroft was selling an ‘elegant’ portrait of the team, which could be obtained by sending 50 cents to him at his hotel. I suspect that is the surviving portrait of the team in very handsome business suits, though [the players] seem to be seated on chairs at the ballpark.” From an interview with author and Charles Radbourn researcher Edward Achorn conducted by Rich Mueller, founder of Sports Collectors Daily, and posted to sportscollectorsdaily.com on November 25, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2019.

July 9, 1884, Providence v. Buffalo, at Buffalo, Olympic Park: “Untimely errors by the Grays and old Dave Eggler’s lucky hit to right field won the game for the Red Stockings.” From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, July 10, 1884. Use of the “Grays” nickname for the Providence team, referencing the uniform color.

Team genealogy:
 Providence 1878-1885
Providence joined the National League (NL) in 1878. The NL was organized in 1876. Providence played in the NL for 8 years, disbanding after the 1885 season. Information from wikipedia.com.

1884 Providence summary

Uniform: light gray, light blue stockings
First worn:
Photographed: team photo, late May
Described:
Material:
Manufacturer: Wright & Ditson, Boston
Supposition:
Variations:
Other items: blue cardigan sweaters
Home opener report: no, May 1 v. Cleveland